1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular television, and more particularly, to a modular television for allowing a user to perceive a selection of a module and/or a module function according to a selection signal. The present application is based on Korean Patent Application No. 2001-10100 filed on Feb. 27, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
The life span of a multimedia apparatus performing various multimedia functions is much shorter than that of a general television, which is generally about ten years. Accordingly, a digital television capable of performing a multimedia function is required to upgrade the function thereof whenever a multimedia apparatus of a new type appears. However, the general television has a shortcoming of a restricted level of upgrade. In order to overcome this shortcoming, the television has recently been developed to be capable of producing a digital image.
Due to the rapid development of digital image technology, domestic appliances are developed and commercialized into digital products in the market. That is, with digital ground wave broadcasting according to the standard of ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee), which started November 1998 in the U.S.A., appliance manufacturers commercialized a digital television picture receiver, a D-VHS, a DVD, and a digital camcorder, which record and reproduce digital broadcasting.
The appearance of the digital appliances showed the possibility that several domestic appliances could be incorporated into a single home network. A high-speed digital transfer system, i.e. the IEEE1394, is preferred for the interface technology between the appliances. The word “IEEE” is a shortened form of “Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.” The IEEE has been founded to promote the study of electric engineering and electronics, and is composed of scholars and engineers of the electrical and electronic field. The IEEE1394 was developed as the transfer technology between the digital apparatuses of Apple Computer Co., and refers to the interface technology capable of incorporating a communication apparatus, computer, and appliance into a single network, and transmitting and receiving the multimedia data at a high speed of 100 Mbps-1 Gbps
One example of the digital apparatuses that make use of IEEE1394 is a modular television. The modular television is provided with a main board for connecting modules which perform multiple functions. The modules connected with the main board are capable of performing the newly developed multimedia functions. The main board functions to transmit and receive data between the modules and the digital television. Accordingly, even if there are multimedia functions that have not been developed for the first time, the digital television can easily perform the new multimedia functions through the modules mounted on the main board for performing the new multimedia functions.
FIG. 1 shows the modular television of which a door is opened. The modular television is comprised of a module rack 100 disposed on a support 10, and a display 18 disposed on the top of the module rack 100. A door 14 is disposed at a front of the module rack 100 for opening or closing the module rack 100. Speakers 12 are disposed on both sides of the module rack 100.
A plurality of modules are mounted on the module rack 100. Here, the modules of multiple functions are selected as a user wishes, and the selected modules are mounted in the module rack 100.
FIG. 2 shows an example of the modules mounted on the module rack 100 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, a digital videocassette recorder (DVCR) module 16b on the top performs a function of a digital videocassette recorder (DVCR). There is provided an insert port 16a on the DVCR module 16b for inserting the digital videocassette therethrough. An ATSC (Advanced TV System Committee) module 16c is disposed under the DVCR module 16b for allowing a user to watch a ground wave digital television broadcasting, and an internet module 16d is disposed under the ATSC module 16c for performing the multimedia communication and e-mail service through the Internet. An MP3 module 16e is disposed under the internet module 16d for performing a function of reproducing the high quality music, and a game module 16f is disposed under the MP3 module 16e for performing an on-line or off-line function. The module rack 100 for mounting the modules thereon is interfaced with the main board (not shown).
FIG. 3 shows a connection structure of the module rack 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 shows the structure of each module, which is mounted on the module rack 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The module rack 100 comprises module connection slots 110 for mounting the modules thereon, and the respective module connection slots 110 comprise two IEEE1394 slots 112 and 114 as an interface port, one power connector 116, and mounting-detecting means 118. The module rack 100 and the modules are mutually connected to each other according to a daisy chain method by using the two IEEE1394 slots 112 and 114. Referring to FIG. 4, each module comprises two IEEE1394 ports 112a and 114a, and one power connector 116a. The two IEEE1394 ports 112a and 114a and the power connector 116a are electrically interconnected with the two IEEE1394 slots 112 and 114 and the one power connector 116 of the module connection slots 110. When the modules are mounted, the mounting-detecting means 118 generates a mounting-detecting signal to notify the main board 300 and confirms the mounting of the modules. According to the modular television as constructed above, the digital television is capable of performing new functions of the modules by mounting the modules having new functions on the module rack 100, without requiring an extra upgrade of the digital television.
FIG. 5 shows an operation of the conventional modular television according to a selection of a module and/or a module function. The operations of the modules, which are selected by a user or operated by the corresponding signals, are displayed as images 20 on the display 18 so that the user can perceive the operations of the modules through the displayed images 20. Here, the images 20 of the operations of the modules correspond to the respective operations, such as play, pause, rewind, stop, and eject, with respect to a tape inserted thorough the insert port 16a at the DVRC module 16b. 
However, when the user does not give specific visual attention to the display 18, but does something else like listening through the speakers 12, it is difficult for the user to perceive the operations of the modules corresponding to the images on the display 18. If the user waits for important mail or a telephone call, which is set to operate through the modules, since the user always has to give visual attention to the display 18 to perceive the operations of each module, the user usually feels tension and fatigue.